Adhesive compositions are formulated to adhere various substrates, including, for example, ceramics, metal, plastics, paper, leather, wood, textiles, and glass. Adhesive compositions suitable for industrial applications have a high performance in substrate adhesion and are often regulated by performance standards set by international organizations including the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Typical components of approved adhesive compositions include bonding agents, solvent carriers, and additives. Certain additives, such as fillers, are used to reduce the amount of bonding agents needed for adhesion which in turn reduces the production costs of these adhesive compositions. However, high ratios of fillers to binders can result in reduced bonding capabilities and failure to meet required performance standards.
Further, high performance adhesives typically include coalescing agents or plasticizers. These additives provide the desired coalescence and surface wetting properties at temperatures at and below ambient temperatures and produce adhesives that exhibit high performance at or above room temperature. However, these coalescing agents and plasticizers are volatile organic compounds, which are detrimental to the environment.